


A Man Walks Into A Bar (and realises he's not alone) | Robron

by lockedinmybody



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: AU, Angst, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, description of a panic attack, robron - Freeform, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-05
Updated: 2016-10-05
Packaged: 2018-08-17 06:14:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8133343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lockedinmybody/pseuds/lockedinmybody
Summary: Ever since Finn Barton realised he's not straight, he has felt quite alone in his journey. That is until he went to Aaron Dingle, someone whom he knew would relate. Aaron happily helped Finn in his coming out process, and on a particular evening, that included accompanying Finn to a gay bar for the first time. Once there however, Aaron finds more than he expected to.





	

"Aaron? You there?" A swift knock on the door followed. Aaron rolled his eyes, having just settled at the dinner table with his brew. "Nope." Finn stuck his head out from behind the door to the backroom. "Ah. Yes. So." He couldn't have looked more nervous if he had written the word on his forehead. "Finn, would you just come in and tell me what's up." With a grateful smile, Finn took the seat opposite of Aaron. Aaron looked at him expectantly.  
"So you know the thing we've been talking about for past couple of months." Aaron folded his hands around his mug and raised his eyebrows. "The coming out thing." Finn clarified. A soft smile made its way onto Aaron's face.

Even though he hadn't and probably wouldn't directly say this to Finn, Aaron had felt honored when Finn first came to him. Looking at his nervous and scared eyes, the way he struggled to find the words to explain what was going through his head; it was all too familiar to Aaron. Of course, Aaron had had Paddy back in the day. But that hadn't been easy on either of them. As with many, Aaron's first response had been to reject both his sexuality and the help of those around him.  
Over the past couple of months, Aaron had seen how Finn's coming out process hadn't been the same as his. Most of that was due to the fact that Finn was wired quite differently than Aaron. Aaron remembered how angry he would feel whenever he caught himself looking at a bloke. He took that feeling out on himself, and whoever was standing a little too close. 

Whereas Aaron had been external about his issues, Finn fought his battles on the inside. He let his thoughts wander around in his head until they became alive and started haunting him. Aaron did recognize that part too. Once you noticed it, it wouldn't go away. It could quickly develop into something that **demands** your attention, whether you want it to or not.  
Aaron raised his mug of tea to his lips. "Right. Well. I kinda wanna go to a gay bar." Finn said after a few seconds of silence. Aaron quietly took a sip and put the mug back down. "And why's that?" Aaron made sure his tone was as neutral as possible.  
Going to a gay bar wasn't a bad thing. In fact, Aaron was glad to hear that Finn even had the mental capacity to consider it. However, it could also be quite overwhelming. Finn shrugged. "I dunno, wanna know what it's like I guess. Play the field." Aaron raised his eyebrows a bit at that last comment but didn't ask any further questions about it. Aaron considered it for a second. He could do with a night out, and it really did seem like Finn was ready for something like this. "Sure. Tonight then?"

***

By the time Aaron and Finn stepped into Bar West, it was decently filled with people. During the taxi ride there, Aaron had noticed Finn's little nervous ticks. He kept shaking his leg and he couldn't keep his hands still for two seconds. Every now and then, Aaron had looked over and smiled reassuringly. _I know. It's alright, I'll be right here._ Aaron lightly pushed his shoulder against Finn's. "Right. You go find us a spot, I'll go get drinks yeah?" He figured it would be a good idea to let Finn get accostumed to the new situation, and this way Finn could find a seat he would feel comfortable in.  
Aaron leaned against the bar. "Hiya, two pints please." He paid for the drinks and waited until they were poured. He looked out at the bar, and watched as Finn made his way through the crowd. He actually smiled at a couple of guys he walked past. _Good. He's not too scared then._  
Aaron took the drinks and made his way back to Finn, putting the bottles down on the table and climbing onto the stool opposite Finn. "There ya go. Cheers." Both boys took a sip and looked around them. Eventually, Aaron's eyes made their way back to Finn's. "Y'alright?" Finn nodded.  
"I am actually. Not as scary as I thought it would be." Aaron made a noise of agreement. "Plus, it has once again confirmed my suspicions that gays are, in fact, people." Finn said, a teasing grin stretched across his face. Aaron playfully rolled his eyes at him, knowing that it was a good sign that Finn was able to make light of the very thing he had struggled with so much.

Aaron had asked Finn what he'd been up to, and Finn had started telling him about his day. As he was listening to Finn, Aaron lifted his bottle to his lips, head tilted back slightly. At that moment, he saw something from the corner of his eye. Slowly, he started to bring the bottle back down, his eyes narrowing. Aaron's hand with his drink in it hovered over the table, left hanging in confusion. "What is he..." Aaron mumbled in the middle of Finn's sentence. Finn looked at Aaron with questioning eyes. "Aaron? What's up?" He followed Aaron's gaze and slowly turned around to where Aaron was looking. "No way... is that?" Finn started. "I think so yeah." Aaron cleared his throat. "Either the Sugdens hid his doppelgänger for years, or that is Robert Sugden himself." He huffed a bewildered laugh. "In a gay bar."

***

Ten minutes must have passed, but it didn't feel like that to Aaron. The familiar mop of blonde hair hurrying towards the bathroom had nestled itself into Aaron's thoughts and he hadn't really been paying attention to Finn anymore. Eyes squinted, Aaron kept scanning the crowd to see if Robert had popped up anywhere.  
After not having spotted him, Aaron concluded he must still be in the bathroom.  
Even though Aaron knew like no one else that assuming someone's straight made zero sense, it is what he'd thought of Robert. Aaron thought he'd heard Robert make some type of insensitive joke down at the Woolpack a couple of times. Then again, there was a time when Aaron did that as well. Defense mechanism.  
"Mate, are you even listening?" Finn looked at Aaron, eyebrows raised. Aaron shook his head, as if trying to move the thoughts out his head. "Yeah, 'course. I'm gonna go to the loo."  
Quickly, Aaron lept down from his stool and went into the toilets. He went about his business and then went on to wash his hands. The bathroom was empty, and as he was washing his hands he looked in the mirror in front of him. He could see three stalls behind him, two unlocked and the one furthest away from the door locked.  
Aaron just finished drying his hands when he heard a noise. He made sure he was quiet so he could hear it more properly. Fast breaths, in and out. Aaron knew those sounds all too well.  
He looked around the bathrooms, the bland blue walls and bright TL lights around him. In the best case scenario, someone was feeling a bit unsettled. Worst case scenario, someone was having a fullblown panic attack in the bathroom of a bar with no one to help them.  
Aaron took a step towards the exit door of the bathroom.

"Hello?" The erratic breathing stopped immediately. He waited a few seconds. "Y'alright in there?" The silence carried on, but Aaron could hear short, surpressed gasps of air after a while. Aaron contemplated leaving after all, but decided against it. He sighed softly, and took the risk. "Robert?"  
The stall door opened. "Hey." Robert croaked.

***

Even though Aaron had guessed Robert was probably still in the bathroom, the shock of seeing the usually put together Robert in this panicked state was enough to have Aaron standing motionless. Robert struggled to inhale as deeply as he could and Aaron snapped out of it. "Right. Normally I'd want you to lie down but given where we are, that's not the best idea..." Aaron looked around the bathroom, trying to find something that could help.  
"I'm..." Robert struggled to get the words out. "Fine." Aaron grabbed Robert by the shoulders and moved him so that he was standing against the backwall, furthest away from the bright lights. "Okay. Cup both your hands over your nose and mouth." He grabbed Robert's hands and put them in the right position. "Good. Now breathe." 

They stayed like that for about a minute, Aaron saying words of encouragement every now and then. He noticed that about halfway through, Robert's breathing started slowing down a bit, and his eyes stayed focused on Aaron's face instead of anxiously moving around the room.  
"Better?" Aaron spoke softly. Robert kept looking at him, and nodded. "My heart is still pounding like crazy though. Here, feel this." Robert grabbed Aaron's hand and placed it over his heart. For a moment, Aaron was surprised that Robert did something that felt quite... intimate. _Nothing like a panic attack to help you get to know one another I s'pose._  
Robert's heart was still beating like crazy. "Let me help." Aaron grabbed Robert's hand and placed it over his own heart. "Close your eyes and focus on my heartbeat." Aaron couldn't help but wonder how odd it was that he was standing in a bathroom with Robert Sugden, them listening to each other's heartbeats. Slowly, Aaron took his hand away from Robert's chest. Robert had indeed closed his eyes, and seemed to be intently concentrated on Aaron's heartbeat.  
Aaron kept his gaze on Robert, whose eyes opened again. "I think that worked." With a slow movement, he retrieved his hand. "That actually worked. How'd you do that?" Aaron chuckled softly. "You're not the first person to ever have a panic attack mate."

Robert slid his hands into his pockets. With the panic attack gone, they were now left in an awkward atmosphere of 'where do we go from here'. "So, you here for a drink then?" Aaron looked at him surprised. With how he just found Robert, he'd half expected him to make a run for it when he could. At the very least, the topic of **why Robert was here** was one Aaron would have avoided. "Yeah, with Finn." Robert nodded his head, looking a bit uncomfortable. "You?" Aaron tried. Robert half smiled. "Yeah. Well. Not sure if I'm ready for that conversation yet. Let's just say I was trying something out. Didn't plan to have it end up like this though." Aaron softly smiled back at Robert. It felt a bit odd, but also strangely comfortable to have seen Robert at his worst. A side Aaron had never seen before. 

"I should get back to Finn." Robert's face hardened a bit at that, his eyes trained on the floor. "Of course, yeah. Have fun. And thanks again." Aaron gave him one last smile and turned around, heading for the door. He stopped after a few steps, and slowly turned back around.  
"You know..." Aaron pointed towards the door, "that out there... that wasn't a date you know." Robert raised his eyebrows. He hesitated, embarassed to even ask. "It wasn't?"  
Aaron shook his head. "Call it a mentorship." He walked the steps back to the door, hand on the handle. "But when you are ready for one, find me at the Woolpack." He grinned at Robert. Robert's mouth turned up at the corner, and Aaron saw the cocky exterior he was more familiar with.  
"I will."


End file.
